Christopher Lobban extradited from Australia on Polk County Warrant

After a lengthy extradition process, Marshals from the U.S. Marshals Service transported 59-year-old Christopher Lobban of Mullaloo, Austrailia to Orlando International Airport, arriving late Friday, January 6, 2017. Lobban was arrested by Western Australia Police on Saturday, July 16, 2011, at his home in Mullaloo, Australia, on a Polk County (FL) provisional warrant for 2 counts Promotion of Sexual Performance of a Child, 2 counts Solicitation to Commit Aggravated Child Abuse by Malicious Punishment, and 2 counts Solicitation to Commit Lewd/Lascivious Battery on a Victim 12-16 Years of Age. Lobban has remained in custody in Australia pending extradition to the United States.

"Back in 2011, I said we would hunt down and hold accountable the sadomasochistic child abuser Christopher Lobban. Thanks to the great work of our detectives, the 10th Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office, the Western Australia Police, the United States Department of Justice, the Unites States State Department, the Office of International Affairs, Interpol, and the United States Marshals Service, Lobban is now hereafter 5 1/2 yearsin Polk County facing justice for the sadomasochistic sexual abuse of these girls. My hope is that Lobban will join his co-abuser in Florida State Prison for as long as a Polk County jury will permit." Grady Judd, Sheriff

The investigation began in May 2011 when PCSO detectives were alerted that a Polk County Sheriff's detention deputy, 45-year-old (at the time) Robin Pagoria, was severely punishing (by whipping with sex paddles) two children she had access to between the ages of 12 and 16. She also filmed and distributed the video of the whippings to Lobban in Austalia.Pagoria was subsequently arrested and resigned from the Polk County Sheriff's Office. The abused children were not identified per Florida Statutes, but Pagoria did not gain access to the children through her employment. Before resigning, Pagoria had been employed as a detention deputy for nearly six years.

She was arrested on multiple charges related to the sadomasochistic child abuse: Aggravated Child Abuse (3 counts), Production of Child Pornography (3 counts), Promotion of Child Pornography (3 counts), Possession of Child Pornography (3 counts), and Lewd and Lascivious Conduct (3 counts). Pagoria was ultimately sentenced to Florida State Prison for 2 counts of Aggravated Child Abuse (20 years), 2 counts of Use/Allow Child to Engage in Sex Act (15 Years), and 2 counts of Lewd/Lascivious Battery Cause Sexual Activity of Victims Under 16 (15 years), serving the terms concurrently. She was sent to prison in February 18, 2013 and has an estimated release date of February 27, 2030.

During interviews with Pagoria and searches of her home, computer, and cell phone, PCSO detectives learned that Pagoria's online "domestic discipline" boyfriend, identified as Christopher Lobban of Western Australia, was instrumental in the abuse of the children. The two met on "Spankfinder.com." Lobban instructed Pagoria how to make a "spanking table" and instructed her how to hit the young girls. Pagoria also videotaped the abuse and uploaded the videos to Vimeo.com for Lobban's review. The victims also described Lobban as being very involved in their "punishment."

As a result of a dual investigation between the Polk County Sheriff's Office and Western Australia Police into Lobban's involvement in online sex crimes, a search warrant was executed at Lobban's residence on May 30, 2011, four days after Pagoria's arrest in Polk County. The Western Australia Police executed the search warrant and seized two computers and several cell phones from Lobban's residence. Police also observed sadomasochistic spanking paraphernalia inside of Lobban's home during the search warrant. Upon making initial contact with Lobban, he told the police that he was expecting them.

The police discovered in Lobban's residence several news articles printed off the Internet regarding Robin Pagoria's arrest and a copy of Pagoria's Polk County Sheriff's Office arrest affidavit. Within the news articles and affidavit, Lobban had highlighted the parts referring to Pagoria's online boyfriend (Lobban).

Western Australia Police detectives positively identified Lobban as the same man Pagoria called her online boyfriend, and whose photos she had on her computer. The police recovered chat logs on Lobban's computer between him and an Australian woman (Elizabeth Bower) who was Lobban's Australia-based girlfriend, during which he describes the spankings conducted by Pagoria.

Included in those chat logs derived from investigative documents are the following: "(from Lobban to Bower): This is a pic of [name of victim between 12-16]...about to be spanked.' Bowers commented on REDACTED [the name of the girl/victim]'s beauty and then stated, tonight is her spanking? And this is then the last of her punishment? Is it going to be a video?' Lobban stated: No, not tonight...and no video. Hopefully a pic of her in the corner. Spanking late next week.' During several other dialogues between Lobban and Bowers, Lobban refers to himself as a "male role model" for REDACTED [the names of the two victims between the ages of 12-16] and makes it well known he tells REDACTED (Robin Pagoria) how to discipline them and she follows his instructions. Lobban refers to REDACTED [the two girl victim's names] as "little bitches" and "little brats" during the chats with Bowers.

While conducting a foresic examination of Pagoria's cellphone, detectives recovered two disturbing abuse videos recorded by Pagoria (and admitted to by Pagoria) depicting Pagoria and the two young girl victims being sadomasochistically abused. Each video depicts each girl undressing until fully nude, bending over a homemade bondage style bench, then being tied to the bench rendering them immobile. Once the child was secured to the bench, they were whipped repeatedly with a black colored sexual paddling device. The focal point of the videos is the bare buttocks and genitalia of the two minor children. The children both sustained wounds to include hemorrhaging and minor lacerations due to the beatings. One video is approximately 9 minutes and 18 seconds long and the other is approximately 10 minutes and 42 seconds long; both contain disturbing audio of the children screaming.

The girls told detectives they were spanked in the above described manner a total of three times (one girl twice, one girl once). Pagoria confessed to detectives to spanking the girls in the described manner a total of three times.

Polk County Sheriff's Office detectives obtained evidence and documentation from the online video-sharing service used by Pagoria and Lobban (Vimeo.com). From this information detectives confirmed two videos with the same unique electronic numerical identification file names as those videos of the sadomasochistic beating of the children collected from Pagoria's cell phone were uploaded by Pagoria to her Vimeo.com account. Detectives also determined that the same two videos were viewed by Lobban, accessing the Vimeo.com account from his account, linked to him through the same e-mail he used to communicate with Pagoria and linked directly to his IP address of his home address in Australia, on at least 10 occasions: on 5/21/11 (3 times), 5/22/11 (2 times), 5/23/11 (3 times), and 5/25/11 (2 times). Pagoria told detectives she uploaded the abuse videos of the two girls being spanked naked to Vimeo.com for Lobban to view and critique her "technique."

A forensic examination of Pagoria's computer revealed chat logs between Pagoria and Lobban. Portions of those logs from investigative documents include: "...Robin discussed spanking REDACTED [the names of the two victims between the ages of 12-16] and Lobban stated make sure REDACTED [the name of one of the victims] hair is tied back, we will have no false modesty. And I want a full 30 mins in the corner. Leave me a text when it is done and I will phone you. Good luck, make it count, and I will be with you. Make sure it is well documented. I love you.' Lobban followed up these statements with criticisms of Robin's spanking of REDACTED [the name of one of the victims] stating that was a total mess' and I am very annoyed at this and really thought you understood what I wanted.' He told Robin, next time she will be tied and dealt with properly...I am not having this again. I asked you several times if you were clear on everything, or if there were any questions...and you said you knew what had to be done.' Lobban instructed Robin to utilize a strap or a tawse [a thong with a slit end used as a corporal punishment device, commonly used as a sex paddle] during the spanking, state the tawse is a good implement...and far better than the cane. I want those girls belted hard Robyn.' Regarding the video recording of the spanking, Lobban stated, I am really glad it was videoed so you can see how crazy that was. And what an act REDACTED [the name of one of the victims/referring to the screaming child] put on.' Lobban continued by stating, I am very annoyed at this and really thought you understood what I wanted. Do not disappoint me again.'"

Lobban was booked into the Polk County Jail Friday night, January 6, 2017. He is being held on $500,000 bond with a Federal hold from ICE. To see video of his arrival at the Polk County Jail please click this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRbkUIBC_jA